Apparatus for saving slimes



(No Model.)

S. HANSEN.

APPARATUS FOR SAVING SLIMES;

Patented Jan. 8, 1889. A

WITNESSES:

Ill '1 Ill/111.1%]!

IIIIVE/VTOR BY WM ATTORNEY ll PETERS Phmhljibwinphqn Washington, D. C.

UNETED STATES PATENT Orrnm,

SOREN HANSEN, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES C. STEPHENS, OF SAME PLACE, AND MARYE. STEPHENS AND HARVEY G. BREARLEY, BOTH OF DENVER, COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR SAVING SLIMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,826, dated January8, 1889. Application filed January I1, 1888- Serial No.260,446. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOREN HANSEN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Leadville, in the county of Lake and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Saving Slimes, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to anew and improved apparatus for concentratingores and for saving the slimes, floating ininerals, or floating valuestherefrom and its objects are to furnish a simple, effective, andeasily-operated I 5 apparatus therefor, one simple and economical inconstruction and readily and reliably operated; to which ends itconsists in the features and combinations more particularly hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings is illustrated an apparatus embodying my invention, inwhich Figure 1 is a general plan view of the apparatus; Fig. 2, asection on line a: as, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section of a settling-tank online 2 .2, 2 5 Fig. 1, with a superimposed section of the fiumes on line'0 r, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, an enlarged perspective view of one of the spoons.

In the figures, the reference-numeral 1 indicates the frame, upon whichare mounted the concentrating-tables 3 3, two of which are here shown,but of which any desired'number may be used. This frame is suspended bystraps or rods 2, so that it may swing, motion being imparted to it forthat purpose by any 3 5 desired or any of the well-known mechanisms forthat purpose. Each table 3 has side walls, 25, upon either side, and ofasuitable height to prevent the material being thrown off. At its upperend is a plain fiat surface, l,wl1ereon 0 the ore or mineral may bespread and scattered as it comes thereon from the crushers orpulverizers or other sources. In front thereof is a concavity, 5,extending transversely across the table and forming a basin for thepurpose of catching and discharging the crushed ore and mineral, somebeing thrown therein from 4 and some discharged therefrom i strokethereof. Below the basin the face of the table is formed with atransverse depres- 5o sion, 6, across its center. This portion of thetable is covered or lined with smooth rubber cloth, 7. Beneath eachtable two cogged, spurred, or star wheels, 26, are arranged in supportsupon springs 27, and so as normally to be held yieldingly in contactwith the bottom of the table.

In operation, as the table is swung longitudinally with the frame bymeans of the rods 2 and some motive power therefor applied to the frame,and as it rests upon a projecting part of a wheel, 26, it causes thelatter to turn, receiving therefrom a jarring or quivering motion inaddition to its regular oscillation. Of these wheels 26, as shown, oneis shown as a cogged wheel and the other as a star-wheel, as either maybe used for the purpose. This jarring mot-i011 and the oscillatingmovement combined cause material from the spreading part 4 of the tableto be thrown into the basin 7o 5 (where some of the heaviest mineral maylodge and remain) and other material to be thrown from the basin uponthe lower part of the table, where the heavy portion of the mineralsinks upon the rubber lining and forms in a bed or body thereon and inthe transverse depression, the tailings,with what slimes or floatingvalues there may be, passing over the end of the table into thedischarge-fiume 8, made so broad that the end of the table may not passfrom thereover at any part of its oscillation. It connects with thenarrower fiume, 9, in which is placed, near the point of division of theflume 9 into the two fiumes 12 and 13, a hollow drum, 10, of a lengthequal to or about to the width of the flume. At the center of its endsit should be provided with projections 28, supporting it on the sides ofthe flume and partially within and partially without the fiume, sothat-its position along the length of the fiume may be altered orVaried, though any other means of supporting it and permitting sameresults may be used. It is connected by a tube or hose, 11, to anysuitable water-supply, and is perforated un- 5 upon lower end of thetable at each swing or 1 derneath and toward its front to permit thedischarge of a jet or jets into the Hume. Ileyond the location of thisdrum the Hume 9 is divided by a horizontal partition, 15, into twoport-ions, the upper one becoming the Hume 12, leading to settling-tanks1 t), the lower becoming Hume 13, leading to the dump or to any otherdesired point. The Forward part.- of this partition 15 is pivoted orhinged at 1o to the other portion, (which, extended, becomes the bottomof Hume 12,) and in this hinged or pivoted portion is secured the end ofan adjusting-screw, 17, suitably seated in a bar across the top of theHume, whereby the free end oil the hinged part may be adjusted in theHume.

1t 1-.t. are panes of glass let into the sides of the Hume, throughwhich, by the aid of good light on one side, the operator on the otherside can see the conditioi'i of the discharge through 0 and at itsvarious depths.

The operation from the table to this point is as follows: As theminglei'l tailing-s, slimes, and water pass along through Hume J, thejets from drum 10 set up an agitation therein, and the jets firsttrending to or toward the bottom of the Hume, and thence by reboundupwardly, the lighter particles are thrown to or near the top justbefore arriving at the division 15, the forward or hinged end of whichnew acts as a skinnner or divider, dividing the How, so that the lighterportion passes into Hume-12, whilethe heavier refuse, &c., passes intoHume 112'). The o 'ierator, looking through glazed apertures 14- 14, canobserve the condition of the How and by setscrew 17 adjust the hingedend of the skimmer and divider so that it skims the slimes, dividingthem and their attendant water from the body of the How.

1.919 are the settlingtanks, each constructed alike, and of which anydesired number may be used. Each is divided horizontally by falsebottoms or rifties 21, formed of slats secured in a suitable frame afterthe manner of the well-known slatted blinds, the slats incliningupwardly toward the inlet end of the tank, as seen in Fig. 3. They arertianovably supported in the tank by any suitz'tble lugs or bracketssecured upon the interior of the walls thereof.

At the inlet end a projection, 20, is fixed upon the interior and in theplane 011' the false bottom or ritiie, and a wall, 99, extends acrossthis tank and down to within a short; distance-say an. in chtrom 20,forming the chamber 118, into which passes the How from Hume 12, theexit from chamber 18 and into tank 19 being at the bottom of chamber 19.The How passes into tank 19, and at first immediately through the falsebottoms or rit'fles to the lower half. Projecting upward] y and inclinedin the direction of the inlet are several series of spoons, 22,preferably arranged in two or more rows, those in one row breakingjoints with those in the adjacent row or rows. They are simple stripseoncaved toward the inlet, formed with flanges or other means by whichthey may be secured to the slats of the rifile-bottoms, one being shownin Fig. 1-. The discharge-pipes are shown at 23 and 2-1, two seriesentering the tank at diti'ferent levels; but either or both series maybe used, so that such series or a single pipe, if such be used,project's upwardly upon the outside from its point oi entrance into thetank, or from the point at which it receives water 't'rom the tank. Theyare so so cured in the walls of the tank as to be capable of rotation intheir seats therein. Then, as they are turned to or from a]')(}1I)(1'ltll(ll lar position, their outlets are raised or lowered, sothat their d ischargingheight may be varied and the level of waterdesired to be maintained in the tank regulated and controlled. As thewater rises in the tank,the How is from chamber 18 to the pipes; but asit. is with a gentle current in the upper half, and practically none inthe lowerhali,mneh ot'the slime is diiifleeted by the rillies and fallsinto the lower hall, where it settles, it (the lower half) forming asimple quiet settling-pool therct'or. Most of that borne along by thecurrent strikes against the spoons :22, and by them is deflected down tothe settling-pool. As the points of discharge from the tank to thedischarge-pipes is lower than the level of water maintained, there is aquiet body of water upon and near the surface, to wh ich. the verylightest and that which has escaped del'lection by the rit'fles and thespoons may rise and there be prevented from escaping, the middle body ofwater from which is the discharge by the pipes being tree from slimes orfloatingvalues or mineral.

In operation the heavier material passes over the head of theconeentrating-table in the wellknown way, while the lighter gangue,tailings, .Hoats, &c., pass over the tail into the sluice or Hume S,whence they pass into Hume 9, wherein they are subjected, if desired, tothe action of jets of water from the drum 1o, such jets by the eddiesand comn'iotion they cause aiding in throwing and keeping the lightiiirslimes or floats upon or near the surface of the water in the Hume.Arriving at the partition 15, the water and its SHSPOHLiGt]. materialare divided thereby, the upper por tion, containin g the floats, beingconveyed by Hume 12 to the settling-tanks, while the lower, containingheavier material, is conveyed by Hume 1 3 to the dump. The lightermaterial, conveyed by Hume 12 to the settl.ing-tanks, first fills thespace therein below the removable ril'fles 21, atter which there is agentle current; from the inlet to the outlet pipes 2f The material.contained. in the water in the passage ot' the latter from the inlet tothe outlet is deflected in part by the slats of the ritlie-bottoms tothe space or quiet settling pool beneath them and in part by the concaveinclined spoons to the same place. As the discharge is from the middlebody of water, the top and bottom remaining com-- paratively quiet, anyfloats which escape the ITO slats and the spoons rise to the top, whencethey may be collected. Bythese devices thus operating any floats carriedoff from the concentratingtable may be saved, making in many cases animportant addition to the commercial value of the ores.

It is evident that this arrangement of flumes and settling-tanks maybeapplied to save the floats from the tailings of any form ofconcentrator; that its 'efliciency and operation do not depend on anyparticular form of such table, it simply being necessary that the flumes.be arranged to receive the tailings and convey the proper part thereofto the settlingtanks, the horizontally-divided :flnme being locatedbetween the table or tables and the tanks.

It should be noted that the parts 4: and 5 of table should be covered orlined with copper plates for use with gold ores and with iron plates foruse with silver ores.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for separating and saving slimes or floats, comprisin amain flume leading from a concentrator or other source of supply ofmaterial to be treated, a horizontal and longitudinal partition dividingsuch main flume into two branch flumes, and a settlingtank, into whichone of the branch :flumes leads, having removable false bottoms orriffles dividing it into an upper and a lower compartment, such falsebottoms being provided with a series or number of. upwardly andforwardly projecting spoons for deflecting the slimes, substantially asset forth.

2. A tank for settling and saving slimes, floats, &c., having falsebottoms or riffles dividing it into an upper and a lower portion, andprovided with one or more series of upwardly-projecting spoons fordeflecting the slimes, &c., an inlet leading into the upper portion ofthe tank, and a discharge pipe or pipes rotatably seated in the walls ofthe tank, and then bent upwardly so that their point of discharge may behigher than their inlet, substantially as set forth.

3. A tank for saving and settling slimes, &e., having false bottoms orriffles dividing it into an upper and a lower compartment, said falsebottoms or riflies being provided with a series of upwardly andforwardly projecting spoons for deflecting the slimes, &c.,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a settling and saving tank, of an inlet for thematerial thereinto, a discharge for the water therefrom, false bottomsor riffles dividing the tank into upper and lower compartments, andseries or a series of forwardly and upwardly inclined spoons fordeflecting the matter in the water passing through the tank,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SOREN HANSEN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL MCDOWALL, E. S. MoDoWALL.

